Grain elevator



Feb. 26, 1946. c. E. KAESLER 2,395,410

GRAIN ELEVATOR Filed Nov. 27, 1944 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 I N VEN TOR.

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.ATTD RN EYS Feb. 26, 1946.

GRAIN ELEVATOR Filed Nov. 27, 1944 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEYS c. E. KAESLER 2,395,410

C. E. KAESLER GRAIN ELEVATOR Feb. 26, 1946;

Filed Nov. 27, 1944 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 I N VEN TOR.

r w W. 24" 1 v iiaillvljl 7 A Z W Z mm m Patented Feb. 26, 1946 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE GRAIN ELEVATOR Charles E. Kaesler, Syracuse, Kane. Application November 27, 1944, Serial No. 565,361

6 Claims.

My present invention, in its broad aspect, relates to improvements in grain elevators of the type employing a screw conveyor, and more particularly, it is my purpose to provide an elevator which is capable of wide adjustment to meetvary-r.

ing conditions of practice, and wherein the motor drive is maintained in a vertical position irrespective of the position and inclination of the elevator. My elevator is supported on a vertically adjustable tripod which may be readily moved about and which carries a mounting for a small air-cooled motor which is adjustable to be normally maintained in a vertical, normal position irrespective of the inclination or position of the elevator. The means for mounting the elevator on the tripod permits of pivotal movement of the elevator so that the angle of the elevator may be changed at will, its height regulated, and the position of the elevator otherwise adjusted to effectively meet all requirements of practice.

I also provide novel means for driving the screw conveyor from the motor, which means includes a drive pulley on the conveyor shaft adjacent adiustable idlers, with a belt drive running from the motor over the idlers and drive pulley to give the proper impulse irrespective of the position, inclination, or load imposed on the conveyor. In addition to the above, I provide an improved mounting bracket for the conveyor and motor, and improved intake and exhaust means for the conveyor, whereby an apparatus is attained which is capable of performing work ordinarily requiring much more complicated equipment. To that end, my device is simple in construction, sturdy, practical, and has no fragile or concealed parts likely to become broken or deranged or out of order.

Other and equally important objects and advantages of my invention will be apparent from the following description and accompanying drawings, but changes may be made in the form, size, shape, arrangement and construction of parts to meet practical requirements provided such changes fall within the purview of my broad inventive concept, and the scope of the appended claims.

In the drawings wherein I have illustrated a preferred form of my invention:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of my invention;

Figure 2 is a sectional side elevation;

Figure 3 is a transverse section taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 2 and shows the pivotal mountirg of the conveyor and engine supporting bracke Figure 4 is a sectional top plan viewof the tripod on the line 4-4 of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a detail view of an idler and the drive pulley and belt connection;

Figure 6 is a transverse section looking forward toward the drive pulley and idlers, and the bracket mounting for the same.

Figure '7 is a bottom end view showing the journal plate for the screw conveyor shaft;

Figure 8 is a detail of the semi-circular engine saddle and adjustment;

Figure 9 is a longitudinal section partiallyiragmentary of the engine and conveyor bracket and connections;

Figure 10 is a section on the line Ill-l0 of Figure 9;

Figure 11 is a longitudinal section through the upper end of theconveyor and the pulley mounting; and

Figure 12 is a section on the line I2-l2 of Figure 11. i

In the drawings'wherein like characters of reference are used to designate like or similar parts throughout the several views; 7

The numeral I designates the supporting tripod for my conveyor and engine, and .is formed with legs 2 having pointed ends 3 for insuring a firm ground engagement, and connecting bar 4 fo the legs. The legs radiate from a tubular standard 5 in which is slidably mounted a supporting standard 6. Standard 6 has a series of vertically spaced apart openings 1 through which a cotter pin 8 is adapted to be engaged to adjust the height of the standard 6. At the top of the standard is a U-shaped, or forked support 9 having a, collar I 0 at its lower end fixed on the end of standard 6. The upper ends of the arms ll of the yoke or U-shaped' support 9 are provided with hearing elements I! supporting a shaft l3, which i prevented from sliding movement which might disengage it from the yoke by cotter pins I4. Mounted for movement on the shaft I3 is a screw conveyorand engine supporting bracket generally designated by I5,

The bracket l5 has a depending, split cylindrical portion Hi the adjacent edges of which are flanged as at IT and connected by bolts I8 to affect clamping engagement about the elongated tubular screw conveyor casing I 9. A web portion 20 connects the portion I 6 with a semi-circular saddle 2| which has lateral ears thereon carrying a wing nut and bolt clamping assemblies 22 for adjustably clamping a semi-circular engine supporting plate 23 thereon. Plate 23 has a fiat platform 24 on which the small air-cooled ore or gasoline motor 28 is bolted as at 28. The shaft I3 is engaged by the bracket through the web at the upper edge as is shown in Figures 1 and 2, and the screw conveyor casing i9 is clamped into the part I8 at a point somewhat above a point mid.- way its ends whereby it is partly off-center to normally be disposed in the position shown in Figures 1 and 2, but not so much off-center that its angle of inclination cannot be easily adjusted simply by raising or lowering its'lower end. The motor is normally maintained in a vertical position irrespective of the inclination of the screw conveyor casing by simply adjusting the semi-circular supporting plate 23 with reference to the saddle 2| through the instrumentality of wing nut and bolt clamping assemblies 22. Bolted into the lower end of the screw conveyor casing I9 is a bearing plate 25a which also serves as a closure and which has a bear 26a thereon. The top of plate 25a is squared off as at 2612. At the upper and opposite end of casing I9 is a. bracket generally designated by 21 which carries a bearin 4 28, and between and mounted in the bearings 25 and 28 is a shaft 29 carrying 'the screw conveyor 38. The top wall of the lower end of the casing I9 is broken away as at 3| to provide an inlet o ening 32 so that in effect the lower part of the casing constitutes a receiving hopper for the grain to be elevated.

Adjacent the upper end of the casing is an outlet opening 38 formed in the lower wall and having lateral depending flange portions 34 to which is pivotally mounted as at 35 a discharge chute 36.

The bracket 21 at the upper end of the casing has a split cylindrical body 31 the edges of which are flanged as at 38 and clamped together by a wing nut and bolt assembly 89 about the end of the casing; the closed end 48 of the body carries the bearing 28 for shaft 29.

The shaft 29 extends through bearing 28 and has mounted thereon a drive pulley 4|, and the bracket body 91 has opposed flanges 48a, connected by a semi-circular web 42, on which are adjustably mounted the supports 43 for idler pulleys 44. A V-belt 45 (or other suitable belt device) is trained about the engine drive pulley 45a and about idlers 44 and shaft drive pulley 4| to drive the shaft 29 to rotate the screw conveyor 30 and it will be noted that adjustability is provided to properly position the belt irrespective of the angle of inclination of the conveyor.

A suitable roller bearing assembly 48 (of the Timkin bearing type) is provided at the end of the shaft 29, and is carried in a bearing collar 41 on the closed end 40 of the bracket 21 to antifrictionally support the shaft, and as shown in Figure 11, a stub shaft 48 may be bolted as at 49 into an opening in the end of shaft 29 to carry the shaft drive pulley 4| thereby to facilitate disassembling the same.

From the foregoing, it will be noted that the height of the supporting standard may be adjusted; that the engine may be kept in a proper vertical position; that the angle of the conveyor may be adjusted, and that it may be swung about the standard to different positions. It is also to be noted that both brackets are of the clampin type and are removable and adjustable, and that the device as a whole is simple, practical and efflclent, and that to operate it, all that is necessary is to start the motor and pour the grain into the lower end whereupon it will be elevated by the screw conveyor and discharged through the chute into a truck or to any other receptacle desired.

From the foregoing, it is believed that the operation and advantagesof my invention will be apparent, but it is again emphasized that interpretation thereof should only be conclusive when made in the light of the subloined claims.

' I claim:

1. A grain elevator, comprising a conveyor, a conveyor housing, a vertically adjustable support for said housing, a pivotally mounted bracket on said support clamped to said housing, a supporting saddle on said bracket above the housing, an adjustable engine supporting plate on said saddle, said conveyor having a drive shaft, a bracket on the end of the conveyor housing having a bearing for said drive shaft,a drive pulley on said shaft having an operative connection with the engine,

.and idler pulleys over which said connection veyor carrying shaft rotatably mounted therein, a tripod support for said casing having a ver-. tically adjustable standard, a forked yoke on said, standard, a bracket pivoted in said yoke and i having clamping connection with said casing, a semi-circular saddle on the bracket, a semi-circular engine supporting plate adjustably mounted on the saddle; a bracket device clamped to the end of the conveyor casing and having a closure wall closing the end of the conveyor casing, a drive pulley on the conveyor shaft, idler pulleys adjustably mounted onthe bracket adjacent the drive pulley, and a belt drive connection from the engine passing over the idlers and about the drive pulley.

3. The invention as described in claim 2, wherein said pulley bracket carries an anti-frictional roller bearing mounted for the end of the conveyor shaft, andwhereini'the axespf the idler pulleys are normally substantially at right angles to the axis of the drive pulley.

4. The invention as described in claim 2, wherein the semi-circular engine supporting plate has a straight platform supporting an engine, and

wherein clamping nut and bolt members are provided between the semi-circular saddle and plate to adjust the plate thereto.

5. The invention as described in claim 2 where in the pulley bracket has lateral flanges connected by a web, and the idler pulleys are mounted on said flanges adjacent to but in a different plane than the shaft drive pulley.

6. The invention as described in claim 2, wherein the pivotal connection between the bracket and the yoke on the vertical standard is off-center, and wherein the conveyor casing is clamped in the bracket at a point above the midway point between the ends of the casing.

CHARLES E. KAESLER. 

